Scraping device



Jan. 12 1926.

W. P. RICE ET AL SCRAPING DEVICE Filed NOV. 21, 1923 I! A um I .1 Ii: 5

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTOE/YE Y5 Jan. 12 1926.

W. P. RICE ET AL SCRAPING' DEVICE Filed Nov. 21, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,203

W. P. RICE ET AL SCRAPING DEVICE Filed Nov. 21, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 12, 1926. I v

. UNITED )STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WAYNE r. RICE, nowann A. MERTZ, AND cHEsTEE E. MOORE, 0F LPONCA cITY,

OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNORS TO MARLAND REFINING OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION OF OKLAHOMA.

COMPANY, or PONCA CITY,

SCRAPING DEVICE.

- Application filed November 21, 1923. Serial- No. 676,193.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VVAYNE' P. RICE, HOWARD A. MERTZ, and CHESTER E. MOORE, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Ponca City, in the county of Kay, State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scraping Devices, of which the-following 1s a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

This invention relates generally to improvements in scraping devices, and particularly to a scraping device which is .intended for use in scraping the accumulation of solid matter from the inside face of the wall of a still of the type commonly used in cracking oil under pressure. While oil is undergoing distillation under high pressure and at a high temperature a heavy, carbonaceous substance known ascoke and okeforming matter is deposited on the inside faces of the walls of the still. This heavy substanceis a heat insulator, and if it is permitted, to accumulate on said in-' side faces of said walls the free transmission of heat from said still walls to the oil With-J in the still will be interferedwith. The eflicient operation of a still thereforerequires the periodical removal of this ac-- cuiiiulation, and the main purpose of, the present invention is to produce a device which will very effectually remove the accumulation mentioned from the Walls of the still. 7 v

()ur invention contemplates a scraping device which is capable of being folded'or collapsed so that it may be introduced into thestilt through one of the comparatively small opening-s thereof, after which it may i be reassembled Within said still, and said scraping device preferably comprises a ro tary and vert cally movable member provided with coke breakers and scrapers which engage the wall of a still as said rotary member rotates, thus removing the from the wall of the accumulation of coke still.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the inventioncoinprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown-the preferred einour improved scraping device associated therewith.

Fig. II.1s an enlarged cross section on line II-II of Fig. I.

Fig. III is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of our scraping device showing the combination breakers and driving members in contact with portions of the wall of a still. Fig. IV is an enlarged section on the line. IV-IV of Fig. II.

Fig. V is an enlarged section on the line V-V of Fig. II, the air motor being broken away. r

Fig. VI is a sectional isometric View of a portion of one of the drive shafts and the associated bevel gear showing the arrangement which permits said bevel gear to move relative to said drive shaft.

connection between the supporting cable and the scraping devic v Fig. VIII is a vertical section showing the swivel connection by means of which'the flexible air conductor is attached to a rotating part of the device.

In the drawings, A designates a cylindrical cracking still which is arranged in. a

vertical position, said still "being either a vertical still or a horizontal still which has been raised to 'a vertical. position. Arranged upon the still A at the upper end thereof is a supporting device B which preferably comprises a tripod, said tripod being intended to support the scraping de- 'vice in a manner to be hereinafter set forth.

Located within the still A is a scraping device C which, as has been already stated,

is capable of being folded or collapsed so that it may be introduced into the still through one of the comparatively small openings A thereof. The scraping device will now be described .in an assembled position, and later in the specification the manner of folding said scraping device, the

manner of assembling'it within the still,

and its operation therein will be set forth.

50 is' provided with a ball raceway 11.

The scraping device C includes a pair of channel beams 1 and 2 which are arranged crosswise of each other, the beams being positioned with their fiat portions adjacent to each other at the point where said beams cross. The beams 1 and 2 are secure-d together at their centers by means of a'bolt 3 which passes through said flat portions of said beams, as shown in Figs. IV and V,

and it is apparent that in the absence of some means to prevent it said beams could .be moved to positions where one of said beams would be approximately parallel with the other, as shown by dotted lines in Fig.

- II. Secured to the beam 1 and interposed between said beam and the beam 2 is a plate 4;, said plate being intended to provide means whereby said beams 1 and 2'may be retained in the crosswise positions in which they are shown by full lines in Fig. II.

The plate 4 is provided with pairs of bolt holes which receive pairs of bolts 5, said bolts being-passed through said bolt holes in said plate and extending through similar bolt holes in the beam 2; (Fig. V). From the foregoing it is plain that when the beams 1 and 2 are arranged crosswise of each other i and the bolts 5 are passed through the bolt holes in the plate 4 and the beam 2, said 39 beams will be held very rigid with relation to each other and will be prevented from swinging in an arc of a circle about the bolt 3.

Pivotally secured to the beams 1 and 2 is a plurality of connecting members 6, each of said connecting members being provided with a bifurcated lower end portion which straddles a portion of one of said beams. The connecting members 6 extend upwardly from the b'eam's-v 1 and 2, said connecting members converging toward each other as shown in Fig. I. Located at the upper ends of the connecting members 6 is a swivel n provided with a piston rod .27 which is connecting device I) which comprises a plate 1 7 provided with a central openings adapted to receive a bolt 9, which bolt has an eye are each provided with a central opening through which the bolt 9 passes, and a plurality of balls is located between said plates and in the raceways 11 and 13. To keep the plate 12 in'the roper position rela- ,tive to the plate 10 we t read the lower end of the bolt'9 and screw a nut 14 on said 7 threaded end of said bolt, which nut bears against the lower fabe of said plate 12. Extending upwardly from the plate 7 "is a plurality of cars 15, said ears being arranged adjacent to a slot 16 in said plate 7, there being four pairs of ears and four slots ears 15 to which ears said connecting members are pivotally connected (Fig. III).

Suspended from the upper portion of the tripod B is a link 17 which supports a sheave 18, and fixed to a member 19 supported by said link 17 is a cable 20. The cable 20 is attached to and extends downwardly from the member 19 and then passes upwardly over the sheave 18 to a Windlass W supported on the platform secured to-the still adjacent to the upper end thereof, around which Windlass said cable is wound. Supported by the lower portion of the loop formed by that portion of the cable which extends downwardly into the still A is a sheave 21, said sheave being provided with a link 22 which passes through the eye 9 in the upper portion of the bolt 9. In view of the mechanism just described, it is plain that by winding thecable on or unwinding said cable from the Windlass IV the scraping device C may be moved vertically within ,the still A, and it is also apparent. that be- Supported in bearings 23 fixed to they beam 1 is a shaft 24, said shaft being arranged parallel with said beam and being rotatable in said bearings, and supported by said beam 1 immediately below said shaft is a pair of air cylinders 25. One of the air cylinders 25 is located adjacent to each end of the beam 1, and each of said cylinders is provided with a piston 26 adapted to reciprocate therein. The-pistons 26 are each mounted in bearings 28 supported by the beam 1, said piston rods being adapted to reciprocate with said pistons and being capable ofsliding longitudinally of the beam 1 in said bearings'28. Bifurcated members 29 are secured to the outer ends of the piston rods 27, and each of said bifurcated memhers is provided with a. pairof'spaced apart bearings 30 which support a vertical shaft 31. Fixed to the vertical shaft 31 and located between each pair of bearings 30 is a plurality of toothed wheels 32,and secured to said shafts 31 immediately above the top her is a bevel gear 33. The bevelgears 33 and the toothed wheels 32 are secured to the .vertical shafts, and .it'is apparent that if bearing 30 of the associated bifurcated mem- The shaft 24 is provided at each of its bifurcated members is provided with a pair ends with a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 34, said ribs being arranged around said shaft so that they resemble elongated gear teeth. 35 designates bevel gears whichare mounted on the shaft 24 at the'ou-ter ends thereof. The bevel gears 35 are each provided with an elongated hub 35, and said elongated hubs are each provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 36 of such sizes and arrangement as to receive the ribs 34 on the shaft 24 (Fig. VI). The bifurcated members 29 are provided with bearings36 which are formed integral with said bifurcated members and ex- I tend upwardlytherefrom, and the-hubs of the bevel gears 35 pass through said bearlugs 36 as shown in Fig. IV. "The hub 35' of each of the bevel gears '35 is provided with an annular shoulder 37 .against which an end face of one of the bearings 36 bears. Collars 38 surround and are fixed to the hubs 35 of the bevel gears 35 and bear against the rear faces of the bearings 36. Because of the arrangement justdescribed, it is plain that if the piston rods 27 and the bifurcated members mounted thereon were moved longitudinally of'the beam 1 the bevel gears would bemoved with said bifurcated members due to the factthat the bearings 36 are interposed between the shoulders 37 and the collars 38 The bevel gears 35 mesh withthe bevel gears 33.at all times, consequently it is plain, that when the shaft 24 is rotated the vertical shafts 31 will also be rotated through the instrumentality of the bevel gears mentioned, and it is likewise plainthat while the shafts 24 and 31 are being rotated it is possible to move the bifurcated members and bevel gears 33.and 35 outwardly, the hub portions of the bevel gears 35 being moved lon itudinally of the elongated ribs on the shaft 24.

38designates an air motor which isdetachably secured to the beam 2 by means of bolts 38, said air motor being provided with a drive shaft 39 having. a gear wheel 40 mounted thereon. The gear wheel 40 meshes with a similar gear wheel 41 mounted on the shaft 24 whereby said shaft 24 may be rotated.

The beam 2 is provided with a pair of air cylinders 42 similar to the air cylinders 25 on the beam 1, and like said cylinders 25, the cylinders 42 are each provided with a reciprocatory piston 43mounted on a piston'rod 44 a i'1-angeclto move longitudinally of the beam.2 in bearings 45 fixed thereto.= The" piston rods 44-a1'e provided with bifurcated members 46 having spaced apart bearings 47 which support vertical shafts 48, and

fixed to said vertical shafts at points be tween the spaced apart bearings 47 are groups of toothed wheels 49 similarto' the toothed 'wheels32 already'described. Each of the of ears 50 between which is pivotally mounted an L-shaped arm 51 having a sharpened outer end 51'. When the scraping deviceis in use the sharpened outer ends of the L- shaped arms 51 will be drawn into firm contact with the inside face of the wall of the still by springs 52:

As will subsequently appear, the scraping device is constantly rotating when it is in operation, and as a flexible air conductor is utilized to convey compressed air from an air compressor or reservoir to the air motor, some means must be provided to prevent said flexible air conductor from being twisted. IVe therefore employ a swivel connection E which is interposed between the main portion of the air conductor andthat portion of said air conductor which is secured directly to and rotates with the rotatable scraping member, which swivel connection will now be described. Secured to and suspended from the beam 2 is a U-shaped metallic strap 54, and secured to the U-shaped strap 54 is a cup-shaped member 55 having an outwardly extending 'upper flange 56 and a downwardly extending tubular portion 57 forming'a part of a stuffing box. The member 55 is provided with a cover plate 56 having-a centralnipple portion 57 provided with external threads. 58 designates a member which is arranged partly within the cup-shaped member 55,. said member comprising a tubular portion 59 the lower end of which extends'below the cupshaped member 55 and an integrally formed annular flange-portion 60. -The flange portion 60 of the member 58, as will be seen by referring to Fig. VIII, is located within joint is obtained between the stationary member 55'and the rotatable member 58.

The nipple portion 57 of the cover plate I 56, .as has been stated, is provided with external threads, and screwed on this nipple portion is an elbow 63 which is connected to a section of tubing 64/ The end of the section of tubing 64 opposite to that 'end which'is connected to the elbow 63 is connected-to a nipple 65- which passes'through the lower' wall of the'beam .1 and. through the plate 4. Screwed on the upper end of the nipple 65 is a T 66, and connected to said T is an air conductor 67 which leads to the air motor 38. The lower end of the member 58 is threaded. -as shown in Fig.

VIII, and attached to said threaded lower end is an end of an air conductor 68, the

opposite end of which is attached to an air compressor or reservoir (not shown). From the foregoing it is apparent that when air is passed into the air motor 38 through the conductors 67 and 68 and the controlling handle 38 of said air motor is actuated, the'drive shaft 39 of said air motor will be rotated; and because the gear wheel 40 on designates an air conductor which extends from one of the air cylinders 25 to the other cylinder 42, said air conductor 72 being connected to the air conductor 70 by means of an air conductor 73. The air conductor. 70 and the air'condu'ctor 73 are attached together by means of a coupling 74 wherebythey may be readily detached from each other when it is desired to fold the scraping device. 75 designates a controlling valve by means of which the flow of airinto the air cylinders 25 and 42 is regulated, and 7 6 designates a vent valve through whichcompressed air 1s permitted to escape from said air cylinders.

' In tlife use of-our -improved scraping 45 coupling 74 is disconnected, whereby the vice, assume for the sake of simplicity ofdescription that the scraping device is inan assembled conditionv outside of the still, and that it is desired to introduce said scrapingdevice into the interior of the still to scrape the accumulation of coke from the inside face of the wall thereof. The air motor 38 is removed from the beam 2 by withdrawing the bolts 38' therefrom, the

air conductors 7 0 and 73 are uncoupled, the p voted connecting members 6--are removed a circ'le about the bolt 3 until said beams are parallel with each other. The scraping device is then introduced into the still through one of the openings 8. thereof end foremost. After the scraping device has been placed within the stillthe operators entor said still and assemble said scraping device, said operators arranging the beams 1 and 2 in the positions relative to each other in which they are shown in Fi ,,II,' securing saidbeams rigidly in such positions by ;-introducing the'bolts 5=into the proper bolt holes, and arranging the nuts on said bolts.

The members of the coupling 74 are then connected so that the air conductors-7O and memos 73 are connected together; The next step in assembling the scraping device is attaching the air motor 38 to .the beam 2, after which the connecting members 6 are at tached to saidbeams. The tripod. B and the windlass W having been previously arranged in place and the cable 20'being associated therewith, said cable is dropped downwardly into the still where it is at-' tached to the swivel connection D in the manner illustrated. in Fig. I. After the scraping device has been assembled as described, the air conductor 68 is attached' to the lower end of the member 58 of the connection E,the windlass \V'isnow operated, and the scraping device is drawn to the top of the still and air is permitted to flow through the air conductor 68 into the other air conductors. The controlling valve 75 is then open and saidlair will flow through 3 the conductor 69, conductor 70 and conductor 71 tothe cylinders 25, and through the conductor 69, conductor 70, conductor 7 3 and conductor 72 to the cylinders 42. The

air entering the cylinders 25 and 42 will 5 exert a pressure against the pistons 26 and 43, forcing said pistons'outwardly, thereby causing the toothed wheels 32 and 49 associated with said pistons to be forced firmly against the inside face of the arcuate wall ofthe still A. The operating handle 38 of the air motor 38 is now actuated, and the compressed air passing'into said motor will cause the drive shaft 39 to be rotated, thus rotating the shaft 24 through the instrumentality of the meshing'gears 40 and 41. ,When the bifurcated members 29 are moved outwardly by the action of the compressed air on the pistons 26, the bevel gears 35 will move with said bifurcated members. said bevel ,gears moving longitudinally of the elongated ribs 34 on the shaft 24, thus retaining said bevel gears in mesh with the bevel gears 33 and transmitting rotary motion from the shaft 24 to the vertical shafts 31 and to the toothed wheels 32. The

toothed wheels 32 are in firm contact with the wall of the still, consequently when said r from the beams l and 2, bolts 5 removed and wheels are rotated the entire scraping device said beams 1 and 2 are swung in an arc of will be rotated within the still, and as said toothed wheels 32 and the toothed wheels 49 travel along the wall of the still said toothed wheels .will break up the coke so that it will fall from the still wall. To in.-

the wall of a still the scraping ,device' is 'started at the topof'a still and the wind-' lass 3V 'is operated so that said scraping device moves slowly downwardly Within the still until the bottom thereof is reached. After. the wall of the still has been scraped the scraping device is folded or collapsedso that said scraping device assumes the condition in which it was introduced into the still,.in which condition said scraping device is withdrawn from said still.

' o claim:

1. A device for removing solid matter the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means comprising toothed wheels. mounted on said member, the peripheries of said toothed wheels being adapted to contact with a wall of said 'st-ill, means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall thus rotating said member, and means whereby said member is moved longitudinally of the still.

2. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means mounted on said member and adapted to-contact with a wall of said still, and means whereby said rotatable. means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall, thus rotating said member.

3. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means mounted on said member and adapted to contact with a wall of said still, means whereby said rotatable means may be adjusted toward or away from said still wall, and means where-, by said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall, thus rotating said member. I

4. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a' member adapted to be introducedinto a still, rotatable means mounted on said member and adapted to contact with-a" wall of said still, compressed air controlled -means whereby said rotatable means may be adjusted toward or away from said still wall, and means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while inc'ontact with,

said still wall, thus rotating said member.

5. A, device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means mounted on said member and adapted to contact with a wall of said still, means including a compressed air cylinderprovided with a recip- 'rocatory piston therein whereby said rotatable means may be adjusted toward or away from said-still wall, and means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall, thus rotating said member. y

6. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced mto a still, rotatable means mounted on said,

of said still, means whereby said rotatable.

means may be adjusted toward or away from said still wall, and means adjustably connected to said rotatable means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while incontact with saic vstill wall, thus rotating said member.

7. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to. be introduced into a still, rotatable means mounted on said member and adapted to contact with a wall of the still, a gear wheel associated with said rotatable means, means including a compressed air cylinder provided with a reciprocatory piston therein associated with said rotatable means whereby same may be adjusted toward or away from said still wall, and means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall, said means including a motor, a shaft driven by said motor, a gear wheel slidably mounted on said shaft and cooperating with said gear wheel associated with said rotatable means, and means whereby said slidable gear wheel is moved with said rotatable means when same is adjusted toward or away from said still wall.

8. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means comprising toothed wheels mounted on said member and adaptedto contact with a wall of the still, a gear wheel associated with said rotatable fmeans, means including a compressed air cylinder provided with a reciprocatorypiston therein associated with said rotatable means whereby same may be adjusted toward or away from said still wall, and means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still 'wa'll, said means including a motor, a shaft driven by said motor, a gear wheel slidably mounted onsaid shaft and cooperating with said gear wheel associated with saidrotatable means, and, means "whereby said slidable gear wheel is moved with said rotatable means when same is adjusted toward or away from said still wall.

9. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills andthe like, eomprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means mounted on saidmember and adapted to contact'with. a. wall of the still, means wherebysaid rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall thus rotating said member, and a, scraper mounted on said member and "adapted to contact with the still wall whereby the solid, matter will be scraped therefrom,

-' 10. A device for removing solid matter.

from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means mounted on said member 'and adapted to contact with a wall of the still, means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall thusrotating said member, and a spring controlled scraper-- mounted on said member and adapted to contact with the still wall whereby the and adapted to contact with a Wall of the still, a gear wheel associated with said rotatable means, means including a compressed. air cylinder provided with a reciprocatory piston therein associated'withsaid rotatable means whereby same may be adjusted toward or away from said still wall, means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall, said means including a motor, ashaft driven by said motor, a gear wheel slidably mounted on said shaft and cooperating with said gear wheel associated with said rotatable means, and means whereby said slidable gear wheel is'moved with said rotatable means when same is adjusted toward or away from said still wall, and a spring controlled scraper mounted on said member and adapted to contact with a wall of the still whereby the solid matter will be scraped therefrom. I

12. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into a still, a suspension device by which said member is supported, said suspension device being capable of permitting said member to move longitudinally within said still, a driving means mounted on said member and incontact with a wall of the. still whereby said member is rotated within said still. a s

d 13. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills and the like, comprising a member adapted to be introduced into ais'till, a suspension device by which said member is supported, said suspension device being controlled from without the still and being capable of permitting said member to move longitudinally within said still whereby still, a driving means mounted on said member and in contact with a wallof the in said still.

said memberis rotated with- 7 14:. A device for removing solid matter from the walls of stills'and the like, comprisinga member adapted to be introduced into a still, rotatable means comprising toothed wheels mounted on said member.

and adapted to contact with a wall of the still, a gear wheel associated with said ro-' tatable means, means including a .com-

pressed air cylinder provided with a recip rocator rotatable means whereb same may be adjusted toward or away i'om said still wall, means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall, said means including a motor, a shaft driven by said motor, a gear wheel slidably mounted on said shaft and cooperatingwith said gear wheel associated with said rotat able means, and means whereby saidslidable gear wheel is moved'with said rotat-,

able means when same is adjusted toward or away from said still wall, and a suspension device by which said member is sup? ported, said suspension device being controlled from without the still and being capable of permitting said member to move 'member adapted to contact with a wall of said still, means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall thus rotating said member, and means whereby said device may be moved longitudinally within the still.

piston therein associated with said i 16. A device for removing solid matter i from :the walls-of stills and the like, comprising a member composed of a pair of beams pivoted together and capable of swinging to positions where said member may be passed through a comparatively small openin in a wall of a still, means whereby sai beams may be retained in extended positions, rotatable means mounted on said member and adapted to contact with a'wall "of said still, means whereby said rotatable means may be rotated while in contact with said still wall thus rotating said member, and means whereby said member is moved longitudinally-within the still.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing -we hereunto affix our signatures.

,WAYNE P. RICE.

HOWARD A. MER'IZ. CHESTER E. MOORE. 

